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Mass shootings and accountability

Jennifer Crumbley and her husband James Crumbley are the parents of the teen Oxford High School shooter. Both parents are being charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Jennifer Crumbley and her husband James Crumbley are the parents of the teen Oxford High School shooter. Both parents are being charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Are parents criminally responsible if their child commits a mass shooting? 

That’s the question being debated in Oxford, Michigan, where a trial on parental responsibility after a tragic shooting is underway. 

On Nov. 30, 2021, a 15-year-old student opened fire at Oxford High School in Michigan, killing four students and injuring seven others. The gunman received a life sentence last year. Now, his parents, Jennifer and James Crumbley, are facing involuntary manslaughter charges.

Additionally, a new report by the Justice Department is highlighting police failures in the 2022 massacre at Uvalde, Texas. 

What does accountability look like when tragedies occur? And what legal precedent does this Michigan trial set? 

Copyright 2024 WAMU 88.5

Arfie Ghedi

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